Method and apparatus for pickling coils



Oct. 24, 1939. A. J. R. GREER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PICKLING COILS Filed Aug. 6, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l glwua/wton W M M M HHJ it Y \\i Oct. 24, 1939. A. J. R. GREER 0 METHOD ANDAPPARATUS FOR PICKLING COILS Filed Aug. 6, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l wuem fo o s Patented Oct. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PICKLING COILS 15 Claims.

The invention relates to the pickling of coils of strip steel and the like and more particularly to certain improvements upon the general method of pickling disclosed in my Patent No.

2,091,921 issued August '31, 1937, Shoemaker Patent No. 2,120,843, issued June 14, 1938, and my pending application Serial No. 203,507, filed April 22, 1938.

In the general method of pickling disclosed in the above patents and application, coils of metal strip material are supported upon mandrels, which are rotated as they are progressed through the pickling and washing solutions, whereby the .coils are in turn rotated through the solution by the mandrels.

This rotation of the coils may be continuously in a forward direction as disclosed in the above mentioned patents or may be alternately forward and backward or continuously backward as the mandrels are carried forwardly, as shown in my pending application above referred to.

It has been foundthat the pickling action is increased by rocking or'oscillating the coils forwardly and backwardly upon the mandrels as they are rotated upon the same and progressed through the pickling solution, and the object of the present improvement is to provide a method and apparatus for rocking or oscillating the coils upon the mandrels at the same time that the coils are rotated and moved forward through the pickling solution, this rocking or oscillating tion which alternately and succesively pumps the pickling solution through all portions of each coil, between the convolutions thereof so as to speedup the pickling operation.

This rocking or oscillation of the coils upon the mandrels while the same are being rotated may be accomplished by many different types of ap- 40 paratus for producing the desired result, but for oscillating the coils as they-are rotated upon 50 the mandrels and carriedthrough the pickling solution;

Fig. 2, an enlarged side elevation of one of the coil rocking devices showing the manner in which the coil is rocked or oscillated to pump the pick- 515 ling solution therethrouzh; and

Fig. 3, a sectional elevation taken as on the line 33, Fig. 2.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

' The loosely wound coils of strip metal to be 5 pickled as indicated at ID are received upon the storage platform H and held bythe stop i2 in the manner disclosed in the patents above referred to until such time as the stop I2 is operated for swinging the same upon its pivot I3 to 10 permit the coil to roll onto the top of said stop member so that a mandrel as indicated generally at M may be inserted through the coiland received upon the inclined vrails l5, thus supporting the coils upon the mandrel and as 15 I the stop I2 is moved backward to the position shown in Fig. 1 the mandrel may be received in the hooked upper ends I6 of the charging arms I! supporting the coil in position to be'charged into the pickling tank I8 at the desired time. 29

All of the above mechanism may be constructed and operated in the manner shown in the Greer and Shoemaker patents above referred to and as this charging mechanism forms no part of the present invention it is not thought neces- 25 sary to further describe the same in detail.

The pickling tank l8 may be provided with the rails I!) along its upper edges forming a track upon which the mandrels may be rotated throughout the length of the tank'so that the 30 coils suspended thereon may be rotated, prefmovement of the coils producing a pumping acerably, partially submerged in the acid.

As illustrated and described in the patents and application above referred to, the sprockets 20 upon the mandrels may be engaged by the end- 35 less drive chain 2| for rotating the mandrels and moving them forwardly along the track i9, rotating the coils suspended therefrom through the pickling acid.

Sprocket wheels 22 are located at opposite ends 40 4 of the pickling tank I 8, the drive chain 2| being located over said sprocket wheels and'continuously driven in unison as by means of gearing indicated generally-at 23 and the motor 24 for driving the chain 2| in the direction of the arrows shown in Fig. 1.

For the purpose of controlling the operation of the charging arms I! so as to prevent the same from delivering a coil into'the pickling tank before the preceding coil has progressed the desired distance through the tank, a controlmechanism as disclosed and claimed in the Shoemaker patent above referred to, is provided for controlling the operation or the charging ,a

motor 25, this controlling mechanism being indicated generally at 26 in Fig. 1. The coils may be continuously rotated in a forward direction as the mandrels are pro- 5 gressed forwardly through the pickling tank. as disclosed in my prior patent and the Shoemaker patent, or if desired, as shown in Fig. 2, the coils may be alternately rotated in opposite directions as the mandrels progress forwardly through the pickling tank by means of the chain 63 of a reversing mechanism as disclosed in my copending application above referred to, the coils being simultaneously rotated and rocked or oscillated as will be hereinafter described in detail 15 in carrying out the improved method to which the invention pertains. I

Various means may be provided for rocking the coils forward and backward upon the mandrels,

but, for the purpose of illustration a mechanism is 20 shown carried upon a spaced pair of ellipticchannel members 21 which may be supported above the pickling tank in any suitable manner.

An endless chain 28 is located around the outside of one of these elliptic channel members 25 and arranged to be driven in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. l by means of a sprocket 29 mounted upon a short shaft 30 upon which is located a smaller sprocket 3| connected by the chain 32 with a sprocket 33 upon the gear reduc- 0 tion, 34 which is driven as by the motor 35.

A plurality of rocking forks is connected to the chain 28 and arranged to be driven thereby, these forks being located at uniform distances apart and so spaced and moved that each coil as it enters the pickling bath will be engaged by one of the forks and will be rocked forward and backward as it is'carried through the pickling solution.

Each fork is carried upon a carriage 36 having four flanged wheels 31, two of which travel in each of the elliptic channel members 21. A lever 38 is pivoted as at 39 upon'each carriage and is provided at its lower or outer end with the T head 40 upon which the fork proper is carried.

This fork may be in the form of a curved oar 4| pivoted intermediate itsends as at 42 upon the T head 40 and provided at each end with the leaf spring arms 43 spaced so as to engage a coil therebetween.

The fork may be cushioned as by the coil springs 44 interposed between the end portions of the T head 40 and the bar 4|, a bolt carried by the bar being located through each spring and through a suitable opening in the T head 40 and provided with a head or nut. 45.

' For the purpose of rocking 'the fork, as shown in full lines and broken lines in Fig. 2, a connect ing rod 46 may be pivoted at one end to the inner end of the lever 38, as shown at. 41, and at its other end to a disk 48 mounted upon a shaft 49 and j'ournaled through a portion of the carriage 36, a sprocket 50 being fixed upon the other end of said shaft and arranged to mesh with the endless chain l, which is located ,over suitable sprockets 52 carried at opposite ends of the frame 53.

A shaft 54 of one of the sprockets may have another sprocket 55 mounted thereon and connected by the chain 56 with a sprocket 51 driven through the] gear reduction 58 as by a motor 59 in the direction of the arrows, shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Each of the carriages 36 is connected to the chain 26 as by a depending lug 60 and a pin 6| so that the carriages will move in uniformly spaced 75 relation around the elliptic tracks 21, and at a speed timed with the speed of the mandrels carrying the coils through the pickling tank.

As each coil suspended upon a mandrel is entered into the pickling tank, the coil will be engaged by one of the forks which will move with the coil through the pickling tank.

The chain 51 being driven in a direction opposite to the movement of the forks, will, through the sprocket 50, disk 48 and connecting rod 46 rock the fork between the positions shown in full lines and broken lines in Fig, 2, alternately rocking or swinging the coil forward and backward upon the mandrelasshown in said figure. 7

As the coil is rocked forward, as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, the convolutions upon the rear side of the coil will be compressed and those upon the forward side of the coil expanded forcing the pickling acid from between the compressed convolutions causing it to rapidly flow between the expanded convolutions.

On the reverse movement of the fork, this action is reversed and as the coil is alternately rocked forward and backward as it is rotated and progressed through the pickling tank, the acid will be continuously pumped through all portions of the coil, thus, speeding up the pickling operation and producing a more effective pickling of the coils.

As each coil moves to the discharge end of the pickling tank, it will pass out of engagement with the fork, which will be carried up and over the elliptic frame, the coil passing tothe dotted line position, shown at the right hand side of Fig. 1, and then into the transfer arms 62 by means of which the mandrel with the coil suspended thereon may be removed from the pickling tank and transferred to a washing tank as disclosed in the prior patents above referred to.

I claim:

1. The method of pickling a coil of metal which consists in suspending the coil and rotating the coil around the point of suspension and moving it' forward in a bath of pickling fluid and alternately contacting the coil on opposite sides for rocking the coil forward and backward in the fluid relative to its point of suspension so as to alternately compress and expand the convolutions on opposite sides of the coilin order to pump the pickling fluid therethrough. I

2. The method of pickling a coil of metal which consists in suspending the coil and progressively moving the coil forwardly within a bath of pickling fluid and rotating the coil backwardly as it is progressed forwardly through the fluid, and rocking the coil forward and backward in the fiuid relativeto its point of suspension so as to alternately compress and expand the convolutions on opposite sides of the coil in order to pump the pickling .fiuid therethrough.

3. The method of pickling a coil of metal which consists in suspending the coil and progressively moving the coil forwardly within a bath of pickling fluid and rotating the coilalternately forward and backwardly as it is progressed forwardly through the fluid, and rocln'ng the coil for ward and backward in the fluid relative to its point of suspension so as to alternately compress and expand the convolutions onopposite sides of the coil in order to pump the pickling fluid therethrough.

4. The method of pickling a coil of metal which consists in suspending the coil and rotating the coil around its point of suspension and moving it forward partially submerged within a bath of pickling fluid and alternately contacting the coil on opposite sides for rocking the coil forward and backward in the fluid relative to its point of suspension so asto alternately compress and expand the convolutions on opposite sides of the coil in order to pump the pickling fluid therethrough.

5. The method of pickling a coil of metal which consists in suspending the coil and moving it forward within a bath of pickling fluid and alternately contacting the coil on opposite sides for rocking the coil forward and backward in the fluid relative to its'point of suspension soas to alternately compress and expand the convolutions on opposite sides of the coil in order to pump the pickling fluid therethrough.

6. Pickling apparatus for pickling a coil of metal including a tank containing liquid, a mandrel upon which the coil is suspended in the liquid, means for rotating the mandrel whereby the coil is rotated, and means movable in unison .with the mandrel and moving relative to the coil for intermittently contacting the coil for rocking the coil upon the mandrel.

7. Pickling apparatus for pickling a coil of metal including a tank containing liquid, a mandrel upon which the coil is suspended partially submerged within the liquid, means for rotating the mandrel whereby the coil is rotated, and means movable in unison with the mandrel and moving relative to the coil for intermittently contacting the coil for rocking the coil upon the mandrel.

8. Pickling apparatus for picking a coil of metal including a tank containing liquid, a mandrel upon which the coil is suspended, means for moving the mandrel along the tank and rotating the mandrel whereby the coil is rotated and moved forward through the liquid, and means movable in unison with thelmandrel and moving relative to the coil for intermittently contacting the coil for rocking the coil forward and backward upon the mandrel as it is moved through the liquid.

9. Pickling apparatus for pickling a coil 'of metal including a tank containing liquid, a mandrel upon which the coil is suspended, meansfor moving the mandrel along the tank whereby the coil is moved forward through the liquid, and means movable in unison with the mandrel and moving relative to the coil for intermittently contacting the coil for rocking the coil forward and backward upon the mandrel as it is moved through the liquid.

10. Pickling apparatus for picking a coil of metal including a tank containing liquid, a mandrel upon which the coil is suspended, means for moving the mandrel along the tank and rotating the mandrel whereby the coil is rotated and moved forward through the liquid, a fork arranged to engage the coil, means for moving the fork in unison with the coil, and means for oscillating the fork for rocking the coil forward and backward upon the mandrel as it is movedthrough the liquid.

11. Pickling apparatus for picking a coil 01 metal including a tank containing liquid, a mandrel upon which the coil is suspended, means for moving the mandrel along the tank and rotating the mandrel whereby the coil is rotated and moved forward through the liquid, an endless chain above the tank, means for moving the chain in unison with the mandrel, a fork upon the chain arranged to engage the coil, and means for oscillating the fork for rocking the coil forward and backward upon the mandrel as it is moved through the liquid.

12. Pickling apparatus for pickling a coil of metal including a tank containing liquid, a mandrel upon which the coil is suspended within the liquid, means for rotating the mandrel whereby the coil is rotated, and means movable relative to the mandrel for striking the coil to rock it upon the mandrel. I

13. Pickling apparatus for picking a coil of metal including a tank containing liquid, a mandrel upon which the coil is suspended within the liquid, means for rotating the mandrel whereby the coil is rotated, and means movable relative to the mandrel for striking the coil on opposite sides to rock it upon the mandrel.

14. The method of picking a coil of metal suspended on a mandrel in a bath of pickling fluid, which consists in rotating the coil upon the mandrel, and rocking the coil forward and backward in the fluid relative to the mandrel so as to alternately compress and expand the convolutions on opposite sides of the coil in order to pump the pickling fluid therethrough.

15. The method of pickling a coil of metal suspended on a mandrel in a bath of pickling fluid, which consists in rotating the coil alternately in opposite directions upon the mandrel, and rocking the coil forward and backward in the fluid relative to the mandrel so as to alternately compress and expand the convolutions on opposite sides of the coil in order to pump the pickling fluid therethrough.

- AGNES JANE REEVES GREER. 

